JA_for_FES_PPE_Chem_Bio_Boots_-_Redacted.pdf

Justification and Approval (J&A) for Other Than Full and Open Competition

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NOTE: If a Justification and Approval was approved for the preceding acquisition, a copy of the approved J&A for the predecessor action must be included in the staff package for approval of the instant J&A. This applies to J&A staff packages that are submitted for review and approval at a level above the contracting officer. The predecessor J&A will be used as a reference document by the approving official.

Choose the funding level for this J&A Document:

< $700K > $700K and < $13.5M > $13.5M and < $93M > $93M

Contracting Activity: Air Force Installation Contracting Agency (AFICA), 771 Enterprise Sourcing Squadron

Purchase Request / Local ID Number: Not Applicable

Program / Project (and PE, if applicable): Fire Emergency Services Personal Protective Equipment (FES PPE) - USAF-Approved Chemical Biological Boots

Program Type (PEO or Other Contracting): Other Contracting

Authority (include full title): FAR 13.5, Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

Estimated Contract Cost (including options): $5,400,000.00 J&A Type: Class Individual

COORDINATION (AFFARS 5306.304(a) )

Date Contracting Officer Jo Ann Parks

771 ESS/EGB /

Signature

Date Requiring Activity CMSgt Peter H. Dickerson

AFCEC/CFX /

Signature

Date Project Lead / Program Mgr Kevin M. Herstine

771 ESS/EGA /

Signature

Date Senior Acquisition Attorney Michaelisa T. Tomasic-Lander

AFLOA/JAQK /

Signature

Date Director of Small Business David E. Boris

AFICA/SB /

Signature

Date Chief of the Contracting Office (COCO)

Julio A. Negron, Lt Col, USAF

771 ESS /

Signature

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APPROVAL (AFFARS 5306.304(a) )

Date

30 Jun 2016

Competition Advocate

Heidi H. Bullock

AFICA/CA /

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I. Contracting Activity.

Air Force Installation Contracting Agency (AFICA), 771st Enterprise Sourcing Squadron 1940 Allbrook Drive, Building 1, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7401

II. Nature and/or description of the action being processed.

771st ESS will solicit and award a new Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) IDIQ contract for Fire Emergency Services (FES) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) United States Air Force Approved Chemical Biological (USAF-approved Chem Bio) boot for firefighters using simplified procedures IAW FAR 13.5. The approved boots are being specifically procured for firefighter deployment to environments where advanced chemical and biological protective footwear capability is necessary. As a requirement of deployment, the USAF-approved Chem Bio boots must:

1) Be interoperable with the Joint Firefighter Integrated Response Ensemble (JFIRE);

2) Properly interface between ensemble elements (i.e., structural or proximity pants-to-footwear);

3) Be NFPA 1971 and 1992 certified; and,

4) Be Berry Amendment compliant (10 U.S.C. 2533a).

Currently the USAF Technical Order (TO) 14P3-1-181, Joint-Firefighter Integrated Response Ensemble (J-FIRE), specifies a work-around solution that provides suboptimal chemical and biological footwear protection (i.e., in the form of rubber structural boots). In addition to reduced protective performance, this alternative limits firefighters' dexterity, movement and overall endurance. This acquisition will replace the current decentralized acquisition of chemical-biological footwear protection and associated workaround solutions by providing a USAF tested and approved chem bio boot. The only boot series that successfully passed the USAF tests for operations in an advanced chemical and biological environment is the Globe 14” Structural-Proximity Pull-On boot (i.e., model numbers:

1201480, 1201480W, 1211480, and 1211480W); hereinafter “the Globe boot.” No other source of supply meets the USAF testing requirements or the four (4) requirements listed above. These boots are available in the commercial marketplace and are considered a commercial item IAW FAR 2.101.

III. Description of supplies/services required to meet agency needs.

Under the contemplated contract, Globe Holding Company, LLC. (Globe), or a distributor of Globe Footwear, LLC.

products, will provide the following supplies in support of the USAF FES PPE program:

ITEM NAME APPROXIMATE QUANTITY

Globe Foot Gear Proximity 14-inch Pull-On Boot Series Total Max 9,000 pair

Model: 1201480 (men's) Model: 120148W (women's) Model: 1211480 (men's wide calf) Model: 121148W (women's wide calf)

The Globe boots will support all deployment eligible USAF military firefighters including Active Duty, Air National Guard (ANG) and Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). The period of performance of this effort will be five (5)

Page 4 of 8Updated: 15 Mar 16 years (i.e., one (1) base year and four (4) one-year options), from the date of award expected in calendar year 2016.

The Globe Proximity boots listed above are currently being used by USAF firefighters for the purpose of structural and proximity firefighting. While these Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) boots and others meet National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards above, this is the only boot in the marketplace that has been USAF tested and approved for use with JFIRE, see Section V, following.

The Globe Proximity boot currently meets JFIRE requirements, NFPA 1971 Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting (2013 Edition); NFPA 1992 Standard on Liquid Splash- Protection Ensembles and Clothing for Hazardous Materials Emergencies, Section 7.3 Protective Footwear Elements and Items Performance Requirements, Chemical Penetration Resistance Test (2012 Edition); American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F 2588 Standard Test Method for Man-In-Simulant-Test (MIST) for Protective Ensembles (2012 Edition), and Test Operations Procedures (TOP) 8-2-501 Permeation and Penetration of Air-Permeable, Semipermeable and Impermeable Materials with Chemical Agents or Simulants (Swatch Testing) (March 2014). In addition, these boots are Berry Amendment compliant (10 U.S.C. 2533a).

The period of performance of this effort will be from 1 October 2016 through 30 September 2021 with a one (1) year base period and four (4) one-year options. No ordering planned beyond 30 September 2021.

Approval is requested for this more than one (1) year requirement based upon:

1) There being only one (1) Brand Name product (i.e., the Globe boot) in the marketplace which has successfully completed all required testing;

2) The benefits of lower commercial pricing for an accumulated requirement; and,

3) The increased life and safety benefits to standardizing the USAF use of a single footwear product.

The estimated value of each pair of Globe Proximity boots is . The total estimated quantity of boots to be purchased under this contract is no more than 9,000 pairs. The total estimated value of this acquisition, inclusive of all options, is $ . Expected appropriations to be used for the purchase of the boots will be Operations and Maintenance (O&M) funds. The type of O&M funds are from USAF (3400), ANG (3840), and AFRC (3740);

however, any other appropriations may be used as deemed legally appropriate.

IV. Statutory authority permitting Other than Full and Open Competition.

10 U.S.C. 2304(g), as implemented by FAR 13.5, Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

V. Demonstration that the contractor's unique qualifications or nature of the acquisition requires the use of the authority cited above (applicability of authority).

The Globe boot is the only firefighting boot that has passed all required USAF Chemical and Biological testing and is interoperable with JFIRE.

The following test reports chronicle the successful testing of the Globe boot series (1201480 et al.) for use under the USAF FES PPE and JFIRE programs:

1. The Analysis of Commercially Available Helmet and Boot Options for the Joint Firefighter's Integrated Response Ensemble (JFIRE), dated February 2012, conducted by Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Tyndall AFB FL, evaluated ten (10) commercially available boot models from four (4) different manufacturers. Thresholds and objectives were established for weight reduction and NFPA certifications in a Requirements Correlation Matrix (RCM) for JFIRE use. The AFRL

Page 5 of 8Updated: 15 Mar 16 report recommended the Globe boot series (i.e., model number 1201480) for additional evaluation under the JFIRE program, “because it exceeds the RCM objective for weight reduction and is dual-certified for structural and proximity firefighting applications as well as liquid chemical splash protection.” The Globe boot (i.e., model number 1201480) was the only boot recommended by the AFRL report, and as a result, proceeded into additional JFIRE-related testing.

2. The Final Test Report for the Joint Firefighter's Integrated Response Ensemble (JFIRE) Swatch Test, Project Number 2013-DT-DPG-AFSPT-F4800, was produced by the U.S. Army's West Desert Test Center - Dugway Proving Ground (DPG) and was finalized in March 2014. Under this test, candidate materials (i.e., boot swatches) were assessed for their ability to resist chemical warfare agent permeation.1

a. Prior to live agent testing, boots were subjected to Durability and Compatibility Testing (DCT) of “450 hours of wear…nine (9) launderings…accelerated storage conditions, or treated with a Battlefield Contaminants (BFCs).” The Globe boot material passed the DCT phase.

b. Following DCT, the boots were shipped to DPG where they were cut into swatches and subjected to chemical testing. The testing requirements for chemical protective capability included Aerosol Vapor Liquid Assessment Group (AVLAG), soman (GD), distilled mustard (HD), persistent nerve agent (VX), chemical agents (e.g., JP-8, aqueous film-forming foam), and BFCs. The test report stated, “the boot…material met the testing requirements for chemical protective capability.”

3. The JFIRE Phase 1 Matrix report, received March 2016, also provides raw testing data that directly identifies the Globe footwear product (i.e., model number 1201480) as the only boot that has successfully passed the testing required to be approved for JFIRE.

The USAF FES PPE team believes that an award to any other source would result in substantial duplication of cost to the USAF that is not expected to be recovered through competition and would also result in unacceptable delays in fulfilling the USAF's requirements. The cost of conducting the extensive JFIRE testing is estimated at approximately $500K (i.e., including the actual testing costs, man hours to conduct tests, and man hours to develop final reports), which would effectively eliminate the projected $492K in program savings. The expected time to complete the above testing is approximately five (5) years (i.e., based on the historic testing information for the Globe boot which began in 2009 and concluded in 2014). Potential offerors have been previously advised, including documented discussions during Industry Day (28-29 Sep 2015), that they could pursue the testing with private funds and that tests requiring Commercial Test Agreements would need to be coordinated through the USAF JFIRE Program Manager. To date, no potential offeror has come forward with a request to the USAF JFIRE Program Manager to have their independent test results reviewed. Ultimately, in the event this type of request was made, final test results and a formal fielding recommendation would not be available prior to the expiration of this anticipated contract. Further, there is no guarantee if testing took place that the product being tested would pass, thereby creating a significant delay for no assurance of a second source (See Section VI, following).

Delay in acquiring these boots would negatively impact the USAF firefighting chemical and biological mission in the following ways:

1) Deploying USAF firefighters being forced to carry and sustain two sets of firefighting boots to meet deployment requirements;

2) Unnecessary donning and doffing of footwear to meet changing chemical and biological protective requirements under real world conditions;

3) Increased battlefield contaminant exposure risk due to varying levels of protective performance of existing solutions; and,

4) Increased cost due to multiple products being acquired (i.e., versus one boot).

Accordingly, Globe is the only vendor capable of providing the supplies described in Section III above without the USAF experiencing substantial duplication of cost and degradation of mission objectives.

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1 See attached tables Table B.1 and Table B.2. summarizing extensive, complex, and military-unique testing and results for the Globe boot.

VI. Description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable.

Firefighter boots that can meet the USAF requirements are highly specialized. Major manufacturers of firefighter boots are (i.e., in no particular order):

Each of these manufacturers produce a portfolio of firefighting boots that are certified for NFPA 1971- Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting. Only Globe and produced boots that were Berry Amendment compliant, certified for NFPA 1971, and certified for NFPA 1992 - Standard on Liquid Splash-Protective Ensembles and Clothing for Hazardous Materials Emergencies. Both the Globe boot and the boot were considered as potential candidates for the JFIRE testing during the initial down selection process. AFRL made the recommendation that the Globe boot proceed to the JFIRE testing for the reasons stated in AFRL's Analysis of Commercially Available Helmet and Boot Options for the Joint Firefighter's Integrated Response Ensemble (JFIRE) report, as described in Section V; accordingly, only Globe's boot was tested for interoperability with JFIRE. To date, the USAF does not have any information that the boot has undergone the requisite testing met by Globe for live chemical agent environments, MIST, and integration with all other JFIRE elements, as described in Section III.

VII. Determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

IAW FAR 13.104, the Contracting Officer will promote competition to the maximum extent practicable. If adequate price competition is obtained, the Contracting Officer can determine that the cost to the Government is at a fair and reasonable price. If competition cannot be determined, the Contracting Officer will utilize one of the factors in FAR 13.106-3(a)(2) to determine that the price offered is fair and reasonable.

VIII. Description of the market research conducted and the results, or a statement of the reasons market research was not conducted.

Initially, the chem bio boot requirement was embedded in a single solicitation for all FES PPE requirements (i.e., coats, pants, boots, helmets, gloves, hoods, services, etc.). Between Aug 2012 and Apr 2014 a total of three (3) Requests for Information (RFI) were posted on the Government Point of Entry (GPE), Federal Business Opportunities (www.FBO.gov), prior to the finalization of the FES PPE requirements. Industry had the opportunity to ask questions in regards to the requirement as well as the acquisition strategy. The USAF responded to all questions and posted those responses on the GPE. Between Dec 2013 and Jul 2014, three (3) separate draft Request for Proposals (RFPs) were posted to the GPE, with a final RFP issued in Nov 2014. The final RFP was formally canceled after proposal receipt on 23 Jan 2015.

After the cancellation of the RFP (solicitation FA8056-15-R-0001), the USAF issued a fourth RFI in Feb 2015. In Mar 2-6 2015, the USAF hosted one-on-one Capability Sessions with all interested FES PPE contractors to review product capability and address any additional questions or concerns on previous RFIs or the canceled solicitation.

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The results of the Capability Sessions prompted the FES PPE to change the acquisition strategy of the chem bio boot requirement. The chem bio requirement would no longer be embedded in the larger FES PPE acquisition; instead, the requirement would be issued as a stand-alone solicitation. This change in strategy needed to be communicated to industry so the FES PPE team issued a Sources Sought specifically for the Globe Proximity boot series which was posted on the GPE on 20 July 2015 for 30 days. Responses to the Sources Sought were received from Globe and a Globe distributor, .

The USAF once again reached out to industry in by hosting an Industry Day (28-29 Sep) with all interested contractors to review product capability and address any questions or concerns on previous RFIs or the proposed strategy. There was no known dissention from industry regarding the proposed change in acquisition strategy at that time.

manufacturer of the other Berry Amendment compliant boot ( ), was involved in several of the aforementioned market research events. Per the Capability Session meeting minutes, stated the specifications in the final RFP (Nov 2014) for the boots were specific to a single manufacturer (i.e., Globe) and that did not meet the USAF boot requirement.

Further, stated they did not intend to adjust their boot product for this specific acquisition. As previously stated, was notified it could proceed with its own testing and pay for the required USAF tests; to date it has not chosen to do so.

From May 2009 to Jan 2011 the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) completed extensive RDT&E testing on a number of commercially available firefighting boots. At the time of testing, only two (2) boots were NFPA dual-certified for both proximity and structural firefighting use (Globe Proximity and

) and subsequently only one (1) boot (Globe Proximity) was further tested to meet all the requirements listed in Section III above. The available funding to continue the final phase of testing was only to enough for one (1) boot to proceed. In Feb 2012, the Globe Proximity Boot was selected because it exceeded the Requirements Correlation Matrix (RCM) objective for weight (35% for Globe Proximity Boot compared to 31% for

) and because it provided the largest boot profile differences from the baseline model (2% for Globe Proximity Boot compared to 0% for ).

With all information gathered and assessed, the outcome is that no boot, other than the Globe Proximity boot, meets the JFIRE and NFPA requirements and has successfully passed the USAF chemical biological testing. Currently, market research indicates that there is at least one (1) small business distributor and one (1) small business manufacturer (i.e., Globe) offering the USAF-tested Globe Proximity boot for the USAF solicitation.

In accordance with FAR 13.501(1)(iv), Special documentation requirements, this justification will be posted with the solicitation and made publicly available in accordance with FAR 5.102(a)(6), Availability of solicitations.

Although the Globe boot is a Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS) product, it is the only product that has completed the rigorous and required USAF testing for interoperability with JFIRE.

IX. Any other facts supporting the use of Other Than Full and Open Competition.

N/A

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X. List of sources, if any, that expressed interest in the acquisition.

1. Globe Manufacturing Company, LLC. - 2.

XI. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before making subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required.

The Globe boot is the only known boot that has been tested and approved for interoperability with JFIRE. For future acquisitions, the Contracting Office and customer will continue to monitor the marketplace to determine if additional sources become available.

XII. Certification by the Contracting Officer.

As evidenced by my signature above, I have determined this document to be both accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

XIII. Certification by the technical/requirements personnel.

As evidenced by my signature above, I have determined this document to be both accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.